# Networking >  Layer-2 Switches & Layer3 Switches

## amit_sara

What is Diff. between Layer-2 & Layer 3 Switches?
Why Layer 3 switches used,& What's it's Advantages?

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## kdeivasi

L2 Switches - Have the intellignece upto Datalink layer, use the Mac address to forward the frames.
L3 Switches - Mainly used in enterprise LAN environment where demands speed(performance), inter-vlan routing functionality. Inter-VLAN routing and also ensuring the performance of the LAN is not degraded has been to implement Layer 3 switches, which are essentially Layer 2 switches with a routing engine that is designed to specifically route traffic between VLANs in a LAN environment.

We cannot say that L3Switch is better than L2Switch or otherway around, since they are placed/used 
in a different requirement/demand.

-Karthik

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